THE QUEST FOR THE SACRED WATERS
by pookie
Summary: Morgaine meets Legolas while journeying through times for the lost possesions of Avalon
1. The Beginning of the End

I only own the plot of this story and characters and places not mentioned by Marion Zimmer Bradley or J.R.R. Tolkien in their books "The Mists of Avalon" and "The Lord of the Rings." So I'm not a plagiarist!!  
  
  
  
Thank you to Lady Elf for helping me w/ Legolas details!!  
  
Morgaine is journeying through time to recapture the original waters of the pool in Avalon. Supposedly the waters will help to bring Avalon to bridge with the world around it.  
  
New chapters coming soon!!!!!  
  
1 THE JOURNEY THROUGH MIDDLE EARTH  
  
Morgaine's quest had been tiring and she was growing weary of the constant search for the link to the real world. Avalon was withdrawing steadily into the mists, and now only the oldest, wisest priestesses and Druids could find their way through the mists to the barge, and only Morgaine, as the Lady of the Lake, could find her way through the forest. Morgaine had worked, for many years now, back in Avalon to discover the bridge back to find the waters of the pool, as they had been created. Her search wore on, and she had found her spell had taken her to a time before her own. She found herself in Middle Earth.  
  
Legolas Greenleaf was sitting high atop a giant oak tree. He heard the swoop of strong wings and turned to see a beautiful falcon soaring through the clouds towards his perch. Eisengale had discovered an unknown visitor wandering amidst the great trees of Mirkwood. He jumped to a much lower branch in his tree and looked out upon his father's domain. His eyes were sharp, and they stared across the treetops to below their branches. There she was, the visitor, but she knew what she was doing there. Her essence had purpose.  
  
Morgaine felt the cool prickle of watchful eyes upon her face and turned suddenly to them. There was a most beautiful, man, tall and slender and mysterious. After closer inspection her eyes found the point of his ears and she gasped inwardly. Could this possibly be an elf? Her life had been spent protecting the Differents, and the Little Ones, and she had never met such a creature. And if it was so, who was he, and was he of a kind state of mind?  
  
The woman before Legolas was old. She was well into her years, being a mortal of mankind. Why was she walking alone? Why had she entered his forest? And what were her purposes that she seemed to hold to steadfastly?  
  
Morgaine spoke quickly and used a priestess-trick, kept her voice low to keep the shake out of it.  
  
"I demand to know your name, and your person."  
  
"And your purpose?" responded Legolas with a touch of humor in his eyes.  
  
The arrow came quick and it's mark shot true, and the woman stepped back.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Legolas rushed to the side of the unknown woman. She had fallen back and given cry at the arrow's passing, for elven arrows almost always hit the victim of target. But Legolas was a skilled archer himself, and alarm had not registered in his mind when the arrow was shot, for a dangerous game of his friends was to shoot alarmingly close to each other, and watch the other jump. But as the arrow passed close to his face, his keen eyes saw the woman jump back—not fall with agony or pain.  
  
The woman sat up, fuming with anger.  
  
"What is the way of these people?!" She asked, almost to herself. "They shoot at unknown people, not knowing whether they are friend or foe. It is absurd! And my quest is far too important for me to just be SHOT at and then the waters would surely never make it back to Avalon. Of all the things in the world for a people to do…" She trailed off, still mumbling and bursting out with rude comments as she brushed leaves and dust from her long dark gown.  
  
Legolas watched her as he jumped to his feet, marveling at her anger. How could a woman of intelligence (or so it seemed) be so angered by the arrows of a game? True, she did not know of his game, and he did not truly know that the game was in action, himself. But even if the arrows were intended for violence, could she not see the alarm of the sight of a complete stranger with strange markings on her forehead?  
  
"Who are you, if I may ask?" said Legolas, again trying to keep the laughter from his voice. "You have entered my forest, and I have never seen such a person as you. Tell me, what is your purpose? Where have you come from?"  
  
"First of all, I am Morgaine, High Priestess and Lady of the Lake at Avalon. My purpose is to renew Avalon's existence in harmony with the outside world. And I come from Avalon, some 2 hundred years after the birth of that arrogant Christ child." Legolas looked very puzzled, having never heard of any of the people or places she mentioned. "I am from years to come," she explained with a certain controlled exasperation.  
  
Legolas looked delighted. "You have time magic?"  
  
She smiled wearily and nodded. "Yes. And I'll not be giving any of it out any time soon."  
  
Legolas's face fell, and he looked toward his home in the forest. "I am Legolas Greenleaf," he replied. "And you are in my father's kingdom of Mirkwood."  
  
"Tell me about this kingdom. What part of Middle Earth does it occupy? Where are your peoples? And why do they shoot at me?  
  
"What is there to tell? I cannot say much that your eyes would not tell you if you would look."  
  
Morgaine looked about, and sure enough, there were several other supposed elves standing, with great bows raised. Her hand crept towards her half- moon dagger, but fell away as the elves pulled the bow-strings taut.  
  
"Well! I see that you will have me taken by force, then, instead of explaining. Of all the things to hinder an important journey…" she began to mumble angrily. After a few seconds of anger and despair, Morgaine realized that though there was potential danger here, there was no reason for her to let on her fear or curiosity.  
  
She stepped forward, and was guided by the elves into Mirkwood.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
This is my first fanfic, so be kind. I also don't know that much about Legolas or LOTR, so be kind and don't flame me. Please read n review!!! 


	2. Heavy Thinking

At first Morgaine resolved to go quietly with the elves and not question them, which would give the appearance of ignorance. She presently fell to thinking of things from her own past. The memory of Viviane's murder seemed to walk hand in hand with this journey of Morgaine's, and the image of the axe stayed present in her mind during a long walk with the elven archers. Although Morgaine was far past her prime, she could not help but realize the beauty of the creatures among her, and when the attraction type of admiration passed, she marveled at the long lines of their limbs and their grace that seemed to emanate from them even when walking. As Morgaine climbed over a fallen log, she felt altogether clumsy and quite heavy, too, compared to the nimble jumps of the elves. She admired Legolas for his humor, for his other colleagues were very tense, although surely Legolas as a prince had more to worry about?  
  
Seemingly the elves besides Legolas were eager to get to the kingdom, but Legolas himself seemed to be in no hurry. Now Morgaine found herself comparing his amiable temperament and able body to that of Lancelet, and his mocking eyes to Viviane's, for they too had an addition of responsibility and knowledge to the humor. Morgaine was growing hungry for the food that she held in her pack, and slowed down to get it out.  
  
"What are you doing?" Legolas's voice held only curiosity, but Morgaine was unused to being questioned, and her response held venom.  
  
"I am hungry. As the Lady of Avalon, my decisions will not be questioned or refuted! I will eat walking, as not to slow your steps; do not worry," she said sarcastically.  
  
"Very well, you eat whatever you need for energy. But I have no knowledge of this Avalon. I have no sense of what you speak of. If you really are from times passed later, why do you resent my questions? Can you not understand my confusion?"  
  
Morgaine fumed at the inevitable: his words held reason.  
  
"I am not an elf. I am sorry for my words. But I do not hold the energy or lightness of foot that you do. I have journeyed long, from half the distance to mountains back there." She pointed vaguely. I must rest for a small while. Please, do not trouble yourselves with me or mine, all I need are directions to the ruins of Thor."  
  
"Nonsense," Legolas said in reply. "if you wish not to be received by my lovely and hospitable people, perhaps for fear on your part," (Morgaine became very angry at the hint of her weaknesses) " then I will point you towards your intended destination."  
  
"Thank you very much, but I have no knowledge of Middle Earth. I may need a map,"  
  
"In that case, I will be your guide. I have long desired to leave the forest again on a quest. Tell me, what have you need of there?"  
  
"The place from which I came is drifting into the Mists that surround it, and the beliefs of that place are dying. If I can bring the original sacred waters of the well in that place to the world around it, the Mists that shroud Avalon will begin to clear, and although they will never clear, the world of Avalon will renter the world of the living."  
  
"I …think I understand…it is sad that the future people will not help you or let your beliefs live…tell me, why ever did Avalon enter the Mists?"  
  
"The reason you just spoke! The people of importance were Christian, and they influenced the world to believe what they believed. They did not live in harmony with us, they forbade us our gods and traditions. Some were scared of it, I suppose."  
  
Legolas nodded and thought. They walked on upon an unseen path that Legolas seemed to know. Morgaine wondered if he needed anything to go on a journey, any supplies or weapons. She guessed his bow and arrows were lethal, but what about food? She asked him once the expression of intense thought was gone from his face  
  
"I know the plants, and I will get meat if you need it, or if the plant life grows thin. My clothes I will have to pick up. Here, wait by this bush, and I will run and be back shortly."  
  
"Alright. Please be sure to bring sufficient food for yourself. I am used to light meals, but from legends, there is not much anything living by Thor."  
  
"yes," he replied very quietly, and ran quickly and silently off west.  
  
Morgaine sighed and sat down to rest, and thought heavily and worriedly about Legolas and the long, hard journey ahead.  
  
  
  
***sry for the shortness of the chapter!! My hands are hurting from typing so much, so ill write more like tomorrow or something. 


	3. Separation

As Legolas ran, he thought—he thought of this strange woman of which he could know nothing. He knew he would have to lead her to Thor—she said the future was at stake. But how could he do this without knowing her purposes? This Morgaine, she seemed to be very private. She said she was a priestess, but how could he know she was not a priestess to some futuristic evil force? O, the questions he would ask. Despite his worry, he became excited at the thought of the look into the future he had.  
  
Back at her resting-place, Morgaine also thought. This elf was nothing like those she had encountered when she strayed from the path in Avalon. Those elves had been careless of them, had taken her to forbidden methods of pleasure and she had felt no guilt. She was old, and had no desire for Legolas, but she wondered: what were his people like? She felt a sudden distrust for them. The elven queen she had met many years ago had confused her, tricked her. Legolas might do the same. But, she thought angrily, there is nothing I can do! The fate of Avalon is in the hands, now, of a complete stranger to its ways. Even if I can manage to bring back a part of the sacred mirror, the pain of the believers of Avalon will not be gone. How will I pay them for their faith? She rose and prayed, frantically, to the Goddess. All she could do now was trust and wait. Viviane had not trusted to receive help from any. But Viviane is dead! After all these years, do you not remember? And maybe that was her undoing. What else can I do, what else but trust? She sighed. And she knew that even Viviane would trust this elf, because she had to.  
  
  
  
Neither Legolas nor Morgaine minded hard travel. Legolas was reminiscent of his early Fellowship days, filled with wonder at what was ahead. Morgaine pushed on grimly, eager to recover her home.  
  
"Why do you hurry so? Has not time stopped where you come from? NO, I suppose it hasn't, but can not you go back to the same time from which you came?"  
  
"No. Time has not stopped in Avalon. It moves slower than ever before, one second here would take an hour to pass in Avalon. But at the end of an Avalon day, this Avalon day, all may be lost, and I may never get back."  
  
"Tell me of your practice. You said you were a priestess, yes?" Morgaine nodded solemnly. "Whom do you worship? Who follows you? And why, if such a place as Avalon is so holy, is your race of followers dying out?"  
  
"My Goddess. That is the one I worship. She is the fruit of the earth, the creator of the earth, the changer of time and season. She watches over Avalon, but the Christians have desecrated her name. Now, their church bells can be heard on our shores. Now, the empire once belonging to Arthur, a protector of Avalon is an empire ruled by bishops and priests. Gwenwhyfar, the queen, follows the word of these crows, and has stopped the function of Beltane." Legolas looked confused. "on Beltane, there is a special bonfire ceremony, and the people of the Goddess mate, and bear forth children to continue her word. But Gwenwhyfar has condemned this practice as savage, and Beltane is no more." Morgaine's words were bitter.  
  
For an older woman, Legolas thought she had aged gracefully at first, but upon closer view, Morgaine's eyes held centuries of worry, and oceans of pain. He pushed her no further down a trip of memories, but thought through this Goddess. He thought of the practice of Beltane, and thought it was no more savage than woven clothing: the making of life was a blessed occurrence. He walked silently, and took a piece of bread from his pack. As he chewed thoughtfully, he remembered the quest he had gone to with the Fellowship, so similar to Morgaine's. Their world had been at stake, also, and one needed protection: Frodo's life had been as important as Morgaine's. But their quest had been one of destruction, and Morgaine's was one of preservation.  
  
Morgaine had no trust for Legolas. She did not know why. He gave her chills, as though she knew him. Deep down, she knew his likeness to lancelet was part of this, but her heart refused to believe this. Her mind grew tumultuous, and she could think of no reason why Legolas should accompany her on this quest.  
  
"Do you have a map?" Her harsh tone startled Legolas.  
  
"Why, yes, of course." He rummaged through his things and handed her the map.  
  
The rest of the afternoon was spent silently. They stopped to eat at evening, and Morgaine studied the map thoroughly, in fact, she never took her eyes from it. They set up a camp and Morgaine turned away from Legolas on her palette.  
  
Late that night, Morgaine turned to Legolas and saw his even breathing and felt his sleep. She gathered up her things, taking the map, and left quietly for Thor. The next morning, Legolas woke alone and without a reason for worry. Why, then, did his heart trouble? 


End file.
